Should my baby get the Rotavirus vaccine?

Lindsay - posted on 06/12/2009

Mine were both bottlefed

Joy - posted on 06/12/2009

Second attempt at trying to post this...either Facebook is acting up or it's my computer being slowwww....sigh.

I breastfed for the first 6 weeks and then switched to formula.

Jen - posted on 06/12/2009

Just wondering, mothers who have given their babies the Rotavirus vaccination, are/were your children breasfed?

Robyn - posted on 06/11/2009

NO!



The last rotavirus vaccine was taken off of the market because it killed children - far more children than die from rotavirus. This vaccine now is relatively new.



Rotavirus isn't deadly, if you keep your baby hydrated. Babies are hospitalized when parents don't realize that they need to make sure baby gets fluids. I recommend checking out mothering.com/discussions - the Vaccination forums there are great sources of information about vaccine efficacy, history, preventing disease, and so on.

Jen - posted on 06/10/2009

Thanks Joy, I will talk to my doctor about it more in detail. You've been great... Good idea about asking my doctor if he has treated another babies.with the vaccine... I'll keep you posted.



Jen

Joy - posted on 06/10/2009

Quoting Jen:

Thanks everyone so far for getting back to me so quickly... Its so hard to decide what to do. Those mothers who have given their child the Rotavirus vaccine, did your children have any side effects? Also was the vaccine called Rotateq?

Jen,

My son didn't have any side effects from any of the rounds of vaccines.  In fact, the rotavirus vaccine is done orally and he actually smiled when the nurse gave it to him LOL!  I guess like everything else, they make it taste good.  As for what it was called....I really don't remember.  Have you spoken to your doctor about any concerns you may have?  That would probably be the best way to go to help you make your decision.   Maybe ask your doctor if he / she has ever treated a child with rotavirus so that you can hear what it actually does, the risks, the possible complications,etc.  I know for me, hearing real life stories helps me more than reading a bunch of numbers and statistics online sometimes.  I'm a "straight from the horse's mouth" kind of girl lol

Joy 

Jen - posted on 06/10/2009

Thanks everyone so far for getting back to me so quickly... Its so hard to decide what to do. Those mothers who have given their child the Rotavirus vaccine, did your children have any side effects? Also was the vaccine called Rotateq?

Joy - posted on 06/10/2009

My son had his 3 rounds of rotavirus vaccine at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months old. He has had all of the recommended vaccines and so far, at 19 months old, he's never been sick a day in his life except for a fever a few times from teething but that doesn't really count as "sick".

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the disease, just so you can have a clearer idea of what the vaccine is actually for. Towards the bottom there is a section on "Prevention" which I found interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotavirus

Good luck with your decision. It's a tough call, to vaccinate or not because there are so many vaccines out there now compared to many years ago. I am a believer in vaccines though, because I feel like the benefits outweigh the risks. Were it not for vaccines, people would still be dying of measles, mumps and rubella...that's my opinion though. I know there are others out there who are totally anti-vaccine and that's their right to choose. I just know that you have to go with your gut on this one because in the end, it's your head to lay on your pillow at night and whatever you decide will be the right choice because it is obviously being made out of love. :)

Leah - posted on 06/10/2009

absolutely! both my sons had the drops at their 2 month vaccinations and they had no side effects, it protects your baby from getting the runs, which in small children can be fatal when they dehydrate. it is not a new vaccine, they have had it available to all children in australia for the past three years and is free here, we even get a rebate if we have them up to date on vaccinations. Please for the health of your baby and for the babys your child may come into contact with get this vaccine.

Jessica - posted on 06/09/2009

My son has never had this vaccination and he's 3. Wish he would have though. My son so ill that he spent his first birthday in the hospital. I don't want to scare you, but the doctors thought he had it but by the time he was able to keep anything orally he had been in the hospital for 2 days and that was after he had been given IV fluids and IV antibiotics so the stool cultures they did when he finally pooped weren't all that accurate anyway b/c of the IV antibiotics he had.

Abi - posted on 06/09/2009

YES give it to him... Its worth the money to protect your child's health!

Amanda - posted on 06/09/2009

It is an 80 dollar vaccine (cost for us) per use, and has to be given 2 to 3 times. I did not get the vaccine for my daugther.



Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) among children worldwide.

Lindsay - posted on 06/09/2009

My son had it at his 2month check up with the other vaccines and did fine. I don't remember a whole lot about it because he's now almost 3 but I'd say that's a good thing because nothing happened beyond him having it. I do remember asking my pedi if she gave it to her son(we are close family friends and her son is 3 mo old than mine) and she had. My theory was if it was ok to give her own child, it was ok to give to mine.

Lindsay - posted on 06/09/2009

My son had it at his 2month check up with the other vaccines and did fine. I don't remember a whole lot about it because he's now almost 3 but I'd say that's a good thing because nothing happened beyond him having it. I do remember asking my pedi if she gave it to her son(we are close family friends and her son is 3 mo old than mine) and she had. My theory was if it was ok to give her own child, it was ok to give to mine.